The County Fair

Ah the fair.

What's to be said about it? I hardly know. Do we love it? Hate it? 

Well, we don't hate it for heaven's sake. 

But do we love it? 

I'm not really sure. Last year we only had three kids showing goats (which gave us more time to relax between each wave of shows), and we'd gotten the routine of it all down better than the first year. So, it seemed pretty fun. But this year we had five kids showing goats--which meant there wasn't a moment that Mike wasn't having to get another goat ready or a moment someone wasn't waiting in the sun--goat lead in hand--for their turn to show, or a moment I wasn't sending another kid off to change into fair clothes or rushing back to the arena to find a spot to sit. Poor Mike had to shave five goats. I had to wash and iron fair clothes every night for three separate days. We brought a cooler of food each day but hardly had time to eat. Not to mention all the work of kids feeding and walking goats all summer. (And me having to get on their cases to feed and walk goats. And some kids crying and other kids storming off over goats acting poorly, and trouble getting leads on goats, and claims of siblings not helping like they should.)

But also, it is so exciting, and they do see friends left and right, and the whole fair atmosphere is quite fun. (I made a cute little video of it all on facebook/instagram for those who might want to see it.)

Will we take a break next year (like I'd been insisting we must the last month of fair readying)? Or press on?

It remains to be seen.

But! I present our third Cache County Fair:

You could easily have gathered enough goat hair from our front porch and back patio (after these sheerings) to have made yourself a nice goat hair ... jacket? (Perhaps biblical sackcloth?)

(Dear Hans needing comfort after not feeling he'd done as well as he would have liked at showmanship.)

They have a tiny Peewee division that Starling participated in this year. They don't actually get judged, but they can borrow a sibling's goat, walk it in a circle, say their name in the microphone, and get handed a $2 bill. :)

We were able to nab our usual spot under some trees next to the stream that runs through the fairgrounds.

We also got tickets for the rodeo this year. I enjoy a good rodeo, but after showing goats all day, I think we all sort of felt like we might die going back to the fairgrounds again for the night. Still, it was fun to watch and Daisy, Goldie and Wyatt joined us. 

Poor Starling began asking if we could go home about twenty minutes in to the rodeo. Eventually she passed out on me. Dear girl! Dragged around the fair all week.

Since we moved out of Young Ward, we are no longer involved in the pony rides fundraiser, but we still stopped by to say hello to everyone. Starling had our old neighbor Anna walk her around on a pony. 

The last night. Waiting for Mike and the boys to finish feeding goats so we can go home and go to bed!

The End.

Oh ... except for these:

And IFA themselves bought Mette's goat this year, so now she is proudly displayed at the front of the store for all to see!